Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters has become an international sensation, thanks to some great music, a fun story that pokes fun at the KPop industry, and stellar animation. The team at Sony’s animation studio did a good job with this release, and fans are already craving a sequel. Any gamer who wants to play through a similar tale should check out Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.
Available on the Switch and Wii U, this Nintendo-exclusive Atlus RPG has plenty of similarities with Netflix’s acclaimed animated film. Fans of the JRPG genre will also be happy with this, since it’s a fairly meaty game with plenty of side quests, tough enemies, and cool outfits. It’s the best of both worlds, really.
How It’s Done…
Like KPop Demon Hunters, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE gives fans a wacky look at the life of a pop idol, though the focus is obviously on Japanese music rather than Korean. Strange beings called Mirages are attempting to harvest a mystical energy from humans called “Performa,” resulting in the disappearances of pop stars. Naturally, it’s up to your party of young adults to stop these mirages and save the world.
While Rumi, Zoey, and Mira were trained early on about the demon-killing lifestyle in KPop Demon Hunters, the protagonists of this RPG get it done differently. Similar to Persona, your lead characters form bonds with friendly Mirages, gain cool outfits, and fight off enemies with various elemental attacks. After the initial tutorial, players will go through various idol routines, learn about them, and fight off Mirages that are trying to dispose of specific artists.
Both KPop Demon Hunters and Tokyo Mirage Sessions offer a satirical look at these lifestyles, while also trying to get to the heart of what makes this industry tick. Did we mention that the friendly Mirages of your characters are based on Fire Emblem heroes? Well, now you know.
Shin Megami Tensei but with Japanese Pop
First-time players who look at the battle system UI of Tokyo Mirage Sessions might be shocked to see how similar it is to Shin Megami Tensei V. That’s because this upbeat JRPG is just a Shin Megami Tensei game, but with a much lighter plot and Fire Emblem characters. Don’t let the silly story fool you, as this game can get ridiculously difficult.
SMT players will be right at home here, as the addictive weakness-based battle system is present and accounted for. Hitting the weakness of enemies allows for follow-up attacks from your teammates, which is slightly different from SMT or Persona. Still, what matters is that you have to know your enemy's weaknesses to get through some of these difficult battles.
And if all else fails? Grind. The difficulty might be off-putting to some KPop Demon Hunter fans, but the bubbly characters and anime art style might convince them to stay.
Please Don’t Stop the Music
Like KPop Demon Hunters, there will be times in Tokyo Mirage Sessions where players are treated to some fun Japanese pop songs. These are usually rewards after finishing a main quest or a character-specific side quest. It won’t surprise anyone to know that these songs are pretty good, so don’t be surprised if that catchy opening gets you humming for the next few days.
Dream Catcher and Black Rain are also solid bangers. They might not be Soda Pop or Golden from the hit Netflix movie, but fans will get a kick out of these tunes, especially if they’re big fans of Japanese pop songs.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE was always considered an underrated hit on the Wii U, with the Switch version having some exclusive goodies to entice newer fans. Whatever version fans get to play, just know that you’ll have a good time diving into this world of Japanese pop, with some tough SMT combat. Like KPop Demon Hunters, it might be silly and glamorizes the entertainment industry a bit much, but this is a pretty entertaining JRPG at the end of the day.
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